The Intense Relationship

Leigh had the affection of both fans and co-stars. By the time she met Tony, she was already connected with Hollywood’s powerful figures. Howard Hughes was one of the names backing her career, but her heart was given to Tony. The couple’s intense physical relationship and willingness to cross any hurdle for love were evident.

Tony also faced temptations. Universal offered him ten thousand dollars to marry co-star Piper Laurie, but he chose to stay with Leigh. He proposed to her in 1951, and they wed in a glamorous ceremony.

Promotional portrait of American actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis for the movie Strictly for Pleasure directed by Blake Edwards | Source: Getty Images

Marital Struggles

Life with Tony seemed perfect at first, but privacy issues soon emerged. Tony grew increasingly insecure about his wife’s success and jealous of her relationships with other men. He felt she sometimes used her greater star power against him. “I could see signs in myself that I was becoming subservient,” he said.

Tony entered a dark space, becoming embroiled with drugs and rumored affairs with actresses Gloria DeHaven and Natalie Wood. The couple grew increasingly distant. Tony recalled, “We settled into a functional but unromantic marriage, the kind of life that was less unusual in Hollywood than you might think.”

Tony eventually left Janet for Christine Kaufmann, a 17-year-old actress, but the couple separated in 1968. Tony married four more times before his death in 2010 from congestive heart failure.

Raised by Famous Parents

Being raised by famous parents did Jamie more harm than good. The actress often referred to herself as a “product of 13 divorces.” The 64-year-old confessed that her parents’ split made it difficult to believe in true love.

Jamie and her sister grew up in a home of resentment, competition, and jealousy. The “Halloween” actress also observed the demands of a successful career in Hollywood and learned from her parents’ lives.